Apparatus for burning-off hollow glassware



Jan. 3, 1956 R. A. WOLF APPARATUS FOR BURNING-OFF HOLLOW GLASSWARE Original Filed July 9. 1949 INVENTOR RAYMOND A. WOLF ATTORNEY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR BURNING-OFF HOLLOW GLASSWARE Raymond A. Wolf, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, a corporation of New York Original application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,825,

now Patent No. 2,570,899, dated October 9, 1951. Divgledgand this application January 5, 1951, Serial No. 2 4,5 9

2 Claims. (Cl. 49-50) My invention relates to apparatus for severing the waste material or moil from glass tumblers or other hollow glassware by a burn-off operation wherein a flame is applied to a work piece in a localized region extending around the work piece. More particularly, my invention is an improvement over apparatus in which stretching of the softened glass is employed with the aim of controlling the formation and size of the bead that forms along the rim of the ware, and of avoiding the formation of boiling, lumps, tears or excessive bead or other defects occurring on the rim or edge due to poor separation of the moil.

I have discovered that these defects can be cured or avoided and the size of the bead controlled, or the bead virtually eliminated, if desired, by providing means for directing against the softened glass of the moil, a blast of cooling fluid during the severing operation. For the purposes of this invention it is essential that the apparatus apply the blast of cooling fluid against the softened glass of the moilthat is, on the moil side of the flamein a localized region extending horizontally around the rn'oil immediately adjacent the region where the severing flame is applied to the work piece, and that the flame and the cooling fluid and the stretching of the softened glass be continued simultaneously until severance of the moil occurs. Severance takes place between the flame and the cooling blast.

The cooling of the glass by the blast serves to decrease the viscosity of the softened glass on the moil side of the work piece and 'to restrict the attenuation of the wall, during stretching, to a much narrower region than heretofore. The ultimate result seems to be that the effects of irregularities of wall thickness on the drawing of the glass are minimized, and the formation of glass stringers which lap back on the ware and produce tear drops or bumps on the edge are prevented. Other advantages of the invention will appear from the further description which fol lows.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation, in perspective, of one form of apparatus wherein my invention can be practiced and shows the relation of parts when the apparatus is in position to receive a work piece for a severing operation;

Fig. '2 is a similarelevation of the same apparatus illus trated in Fig. 1 showing the relation of parts after the work piece has been inserted and lowered into position for the burning-off operation;

Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view, taken centrally, of my improved burner, together with an improved fuel mixer particularly adapted for use in carrying out my process; and i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the same burner shown in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is illustrated in conjunction with a conventional burnoff machine, insofar as the main frame, the vacuum chuck and spindle, the spindle drive and spindle arm linkage are concerned. These conventional parts include a main frame 1, an upstanding bracket 2 aflixed thereto, a spindle bearing assembly 3 carried by the bracket at its upper end, a vacuum chuck 4 and its supporting hollow spindle 5, a spindle arm linkage 6 actuated by timing cam 7, a driven bevel gear 8 affixed to the upper end of spindle 5, a drive mechanism 9 including bevel gear 10, an adjustable table 11, a table adjusting screw 12, a table adjustment handle 13 and vacuum shaft 14, connected to a vacuum pump, not shown.

The operation is as follows. Cam shaft 21, upon being rotated clockwise by a motor, not shown, brings earn 7 into contact with spindle arm linkage 6, which in turn raises spindle 5 with vacuum chuck and disengages bevel gear 8 from bevel gear 10 of drive mechanism 9. As shown in Fig. l, the vacuum chuck is in position for the insertion of the work piece. The suction exerted by the vacuum through vacuum shaft and the hollow spindle serves to hold the work piece in the chuck.

Further clockwise rotation of shaft 21 carries cam 7 out of contact with the spindle arm linkage 6, as shown in Fig. 2, permitting vacuum chuck 4 and spindle 5 to drop to the position where it engages bevel gear 10 of the continuously operating drive mechanism 9, for rotation of vertically extending spindle 5, vacuum chuck 4 and work piece 22, all about a vertical axis.

Supported on table 11 is my new and improved an nnlar burner 15 and my new and improved fuel mixer 16, which are shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. By means of table adjusting handle 13 and cooperating table adjusting screw 12, both of conventional construction, the table can be raised or lowered and the burner positioned relative to the rotating work piece for the burning-off of the moil. With the conventional type burner, as the flames impinge on the glass wall of the'work piece and soften the glass, the weight of the moil draws or elongates the work piece with consequent attenuation of the glass wall. The drawing of the article and attenuation of the glass wall continue until severance of the moil takes place.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, my new and improved burner 15 comprises a burner base 31 suitably provided with passages and bores, a cover plate 32, and a burner ring 33 provided with a series of openings into which are inserted burner tips 34 for discharging jets of oxygen-fuel mixture to produce radial flames for heating a region or zone extending circumferentially around the work piece. Immediately below the burner tips 34, there is provided an annular slit or slot 35, between the upper annularly extending surface of burner base 31 and an annular recess in the lower annularly extending surface of the burner ring 33, for passage of cooling fluid to impinge upon the softened glass of the work piece.

The oxygen-fuel mixture is supplied to the burner through the mixer 41 provided with a mixing and expanding chamber 42. Fuel gas, from a reservoir not shown. enters the mixer at fuel connection 43, and flows to the mixing chamber through drilled passage 44, intermediate chamber 45 and central bore 46, where it meets at a ring of openings with oxygen entering the mixer at oxygen connection 48 and flowing through drilled passage 49 and annular passage 51. The mixed and expanded fuel and oxygen then passes from the mixer 41 and through bore 36 of burner 15 into the annular distributing chamber 37, for distribution of the oxygen-fuel mixture to the burner tips 34.

As a matter of convenience, mixer 41 is employed also for conveying the cooling fluid into the burner base. The cooling fluid which, for illustrative purposes, is referred to here as air, enters the mixer under pressure at air connection 61 and flows by way of the annular passage 62, and bores 63 of the mixer, into the burner base whence it flows by bores 38 and 39 to the annular chamber 64, connected to slot or slit 35. A porous diflusor ring 65 is provided in the upper part of annular chamber 64 to assist in so distributing the flow that the air issues uniformly and evenly from slit 35 to impinge on the softened glass of the moil.

Ring seals 66 and 67 of a resilient material such as a silicon plastic are provided to seal off the various parts and prevent leakage or mixing of the cooling fluid and the oxygen-fuel mixture. The cover plate is fastened to the burner base by bolts 68, and dowel 69 is provided to insure proper positioning of the burner ring 33.

The mixer is readily inserted into the burner base and fastened therein against inadvertent removal by a slight turn which brings resiliently mounted pin 71 of the base into engagement with inclined groove 72 of the mixer. By turning the mixer a short distance in the opposite direction the pin is brought out of engagement with the groove and the mixer can be withdrawn.

My new and improved burner operates as follows. Upon the work piece being projected into the burner as shown in Fig. 2, both a flame and a blast of cooling fluid are applied to it, the flame being supplied by the oxygenfuel mixture issuing radially inward from the burner tips 34 and the cooling fluid issuing inwardly from the slit 35. As the glass is softened and its viscosity decreased by the flame, the softened glass flows under the force exerted by the weight of the moil. At the same time the blast of cooling fluid, by cooling the softened glass, serves to increase its viscosity and accordingly its resistance to flow, in a circumferentially extending area which is below and immediately adjacent the flame. While not wishing to be bound by any particular theory or explanation for my improved results the principle seems to be that the application of the cooling fluid simultaneously with the flame confines the stretching or drawing of the glass, with concurrent attenuation of the wall, to a narrow circumferentially extending area lying between the flame and the cooling fluid. As a consequence the effects of variations in wall thickness are minimized and the defects which have heretofore resulted from permitting the stretching or drawing of the glass wall to be distributed over a more extended area are virtually eliminated. In the case of small glassware, such as tumblers, for instance, it has been possible to decrease the number of rejects for de fective cut-off to less than one per cent.

Also, in accordance with my improved apparatus, the size of the bead can be quite closely controlled according to the spacing between the cooling blast and the flame. For the purposes of this invention a heavy bead is considered to be one in which the glass at the rim extends beyond the wall by at least one-half the thickness of the wall. Beads larger than a heavy head are regarded as excessive. In general, the less the spacing between the cooling blast and the flame, the smaller the bead. It is essential, however, that the spacing shall not be so close that the flame is distorted by the blast. For small ware, for instance, tumblers, it ordinarily will not be found practicable to space the blast more closely to the flame than one-sixteenth inch. Another factor to be taken into account in the spacing of the cooling blast from the flame is the distance of the flame from the work piece. This distance can vary according to the size of the work piece or the eccentricity of its rotation. In order to avoid distortion of the flame, the blast must also be spaced the farther from the flame, the farther the flame is from the work piece. Ordinarily, however, it will be found unnecessary to space the blast from the flame more than one inch. A spacing from one-sixteenth to one-half inch is preferred.

As cooling fluid there may be used oxygen, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, steam water and the like. The use of oxygen-containing gas such as oxygen or air has the additional advantage of supplying secondary oxygen for the flame. When secondary oxygen for the flames is supplied by a cooling blast of air, an oxy-fuel gas ratio in the range of about 0.7 :1 to 09:1 can be used, which affords a considerable saving over a ratio in the range of 1.1:1 to 1521 otherwise required to maintain an oxidizing flame.

Instead of rotating the work piece as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the burner stationary, the work piece can be held stationary while the flame and, also, if desired, the blasts are rotated around the work piece, employing rotary seals and other conventional expedients for supplying the fuel, oxygen and cooling fluid to the burner. Such variants are within the scope of my improved apparatus wherein a cooling blast and a flame, in combination, are used simultaneously in burning-off operations.

Although my apparatus is particularly well adapted for severing the moil from tumblers, it is not limited thereto. It is useful also for severing an unwanted portion or moil from such articles and objects of glass as television tubes, lamp shades, lamp chimneys, cigarette boxes, cylinders and the like, all comprehended by the term hollow glassware," for the purposes of the present invention.

By the term work piece as used herein is meant the piece of hollow glass on which the burn-off operation is to be carried out and from which an unwanted portion or moil is to be severed. Other terms relating to burningoif operations and my improvements therein are used in accordance with the definitions and meanings set forth in Glass Glossary (reprinted from The American Ceramic Society Bulletin 27 (9), 353-62 (1948)) compiled and submitted by the Glass Division Committee on Classification, Nomenclature and Glossary, The American Ceramic Society, Columbus, Ohio.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 103,825, filed July 9, 1949, and which issued as Patent No. 2,570,899, October 9, 1951.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for burning olf hollow glassware having work supporting means including means for rotating a glass workpiece about a substantially vertical axis, and a cut-off head is provided for applying a flame at a horizontally localized region extending circumferentially around the workpiece for severing waste material or moil from such hollow glassware, the improvement in said cutoff head which comprises an annular body member, an annular flame port ring member secured coaxially to said body member and having radially arranged coplanar combustible mixture ports for producing a heating flame to impinge on the glass workpiece, a substantially radially directed annularly extending surface of one of said members having an annular recess cooperating with a substantially radially directed annularly extending surface of the other of said members to provide a substantially radially inwardly directed annularly extending quenching fluid discharge slot in said head and disposed in a plane parallel to but spaced below the plane of said mixture ports, said head being mounted with respect to said work supporting means to receive the workpiece projected thereinto from above and to permit the dropping of severed waste material downwardly therefrom, and to position said slot on the moil side of the flame to discharge a cooling fluid against a heated zone of said glass workpiece at a distance below said flame of not less than one-sixteenth inch and not more than one inch; and fluid supply means including passages in said body member for supplying a combustible mixture to said ports and for supplying a quenching fluid to said slot.

2. In apparatus for burning off hollow glassware, as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said slot is adapted to discharge a cooling fluid against a heated zone of said glass work piece at a distance below said flame of not less than one-sixteenth inch and not more than one-half inch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nelson Apr. 5, 1892 Schreiber Sept. 24, 1940 Shorter Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 15, 1927 Germany Oct. 23, 1915 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR BURNING OFF HOLLOW GLASSWARE HAVING WORK SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR ROTATING A GLASS WORKPIECE ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, AND A CUT-OFF HEAD IS PROVIDED FOR APPLYING A FLAME AT A HORIZONTALLY LOCALIZED REGION EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE WORKPIECE FOR SEVERING WASTE MATERIAL OR MOIL FROM SUCH HOLLOW GLASSWARE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID CUTOFF HEAD WHICH COMPRISES AN ANNULAR BODY MEMBER, AN ANNULAR FLAME PORT RING MEMBER SECURED COAXIALLY TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING RADIALLY ARRANGED COPLANAR COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE PORTS FOR PRODUCING A HEATING FLAME TO IMPINGE ON THE GLASS WORKPIECE, A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY DIRECTED ANNULARLY EXTENDING SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN ANNULAR RECESS COOPERATING WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY DIRECTED ANNULARLY EXTENDING SURFACE OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED ANNULARLY EXTENDING QUENCHING FLUID DISCHARGE SLOT IN SAID HEAD AND DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO BUT SPACED BELOW THE PLANE OF SAID MIXTURE PORTS, SAID HEAD BEING MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID WORK SUPPORTNG MEANS TO RECEIVE THE WORKPIECE PROJECTED THEREINTO FROM ABOVE AND TO PERMIT THE DROPPING OF SEVERED WASTE MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, AND TO POSITION SAID SLOT ON THE MOIL SIDE OF THE FLAME TO DISCHARGE A COOLING FLUID AGAINST A HEATED ZONE OF SAID GLASS WORKPIECE AT A DISTANCE BELOW SAID FLAME OF NOT LESS THAN ONE-SIXTEENTH INCH AND NOT MORE THAN ONE INCH; AND FLUID SUPPLY MEANS INCLUDING PASSAGES IN SAID BODY MEMBER FOR SUPPLYING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE TO SAID PORTS AND FOR SUPPLYING A QUENCHING FLUID TO SAID SLOT. 